Glow Festival Takes Over Santa Monica Pier on Sept. 25

Glow, a dusk-to-dawn biannual light installation and art event on Sept. 25 at the Santa Monica Pier, features the work of more than 20 international, national and local artists. We recently spoke with the festival’s artistic director, alumnus Marc Pally (Art MFA 78), about the upcoming festival.

24700: We heard that the first Glow in 2008 was a huge success.

MP: Yes, about 200,000 people attended the first Glow—and we were only expecting 35,000. I remember that the I-10 freeway was backed up to I-405. In light of these amazing numbers, we are hoping to promote Glow as more of an art event this year in order to tone down the audience to more manageable numbers.

24700: Tell us a little about the artists involved this year.

MP: All of the artists are very strong. There will be a piece by Montreal-based artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, who has not had a piece featured in California yet. His work is very compelling—a tour de force in dance media. Also, other internationally known artists such as Anne Bray (Los Angeles), Céleste Boursier-Mougenot (Séte, France), Yoshua Okón (Mexico City) and Steve Roden (Los Angeles) will be featured. Not to mention the 15 other local artists that will show works this year.

24700: Do you know of any other CalArtians involved with this year's Glow?

MP: Tom Leeser, the director of the Center for Integrated Media at CalArts, is on the selection committee. In addition, Mark Allen (Art MFA 99), the director of Machine Project, is bringing three projects to Glow this year, which involve a lot of CalArtians.

24700: How did you become Artistic Director of Glow?

MP: At the time, I was working with the city of Santa Monica on a project called FreshArt, which featured local artists’ work in Santa Monica parks. The program was eventually suspended with the development of Glow. I had heard about a similar festival in Paris, titled Nuit Blanche. For that event, the city is used as an open space for art that occurs at very unusual hours. In general, I really like the idea of rethinking of time and space through art and the idea of public space being reconstituted for art.

24700: Where can we find more information about Glow 2010?

MP: People can check out glowsantamonica.org, where you can find a complete list of the artists and projects for Glow 2010. Also, there will be a podcast with KCRW's Music Director Jason Bentley, to be posted on Sept. 16, with the logistics. You can also check out KCRW’s Glow page.

24700: What’s next for you?

MP: After Glow, I am looking forward to spending time in my studio.
Check out 24700 next week as we feature other CalArtians involved with the festival.

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The number of people was the biggest success of the last glow, the actual event was disappointing though as it was so over run and you couldn’t really get to anything in any context. But it sounds like the effort is being made to address that very thing. This MFA 08 Lighting Student is excited.

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24700 is CalArts' online space dedicated to sharing news and work of the larger CalArts community from around the world. The blog captures stories of the exploration of new forms and expressions in the arts by our students, faculty, staff and alumni.